The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-19
THE YOUNG FOLKS.
An Entertaining Story Entitled "Ruhy Aillsr's
Melons"
Outward Respect-Room for Gratitude
Burglars and Parrot-Awkward Jok-
tag-Knotty Problems.
Ruby's Melons.

She had some faults, of course-what little
girl has not? But she was so pleasant and
happy and industrious that we will not
dwell upon her dlsagreeable traits, which
are, indeed, not worth dwelling upon.
Ruby's father was teanster. He owned
two large, black horses, and two or three
big wagons of different sizes and shapes. All
the Miller children knew all these wagons,
even to Laureta, the little Miller baby, and as
soon as they saw one of them coming along the
dusty village street toward night they
would run to meet it and cry, "Hollo,
pspsl" until the neighbors thought there
had been about noise enough. But Mr.. Mil
Ter was very proud of his four little children,
and they could not be blamed for being glad
to see him.
Right next to the little patch of land
which belonged to Mr.. Miller was long
randy strip Of farm owned by Squire Bill
hngton, or, as the Reighbors called him,
Square" He was the great man of the lit
tie struggling village OF Nestlin, and was
very rich and very stingy. You would
laugh very hard If l could stop to tell you
half the funny stories they relate in Nestlin
about "'Square" BilliDgton's little stingy
ways But this is story about one of
them.
Young pear trees were planted thickly on
the "'Square's" farm, or that part of il
which lay along the village street and next
the Millers'. But there was a portion of it,
close to the Millers' yard, which had nothing
within 1t at all excepting some struggling
blades of grass.
One day Mr.. Miller and Ruby were riding
on the high seat of one of Mr.. Miller's WAC
Ons, when he said, pointing to the empty
space on the " Squares grounds, That
would be frst-rate place to raise watermel-
ons. most wonder that the Square hasn't
planted some there. 'Tisn't good land for
anything else, but watermelons would grow
there splendidly."
us it much work to raise watermelons,
papa?' inquired Ruby.
"Oh, no. The only trouble is that Won
want to be watching them when they are
ripe, or else mischievous boys will come and
steal them"
Aunt Mary has got some watermelon
seeds" said Ruby. 81 wonder if she wouldn't
give me some, and then might plant them
right by the fence there"
"You would have to ask the Square" re-
marked her father.
Squire Ellington was what people call
'pleasant-spOken" man, and Ruby did not
feel in the least afraid to ask him. The next
day she met him on the street. He said
"Good morning. to her, and she fastened to
return his greetings and tell him about her
plan.
That's a good idea" said he. 81 like to
see little girls at work. oh, yes. you can
raise watermelons on that sandy knoll all
you want to-"
seeds, and watched them come up, and bios.
SOM, and form little melons. 1t was great
tun. Her brothers, D0rus and Sylvester,
helped her hoe and weed them, and little
Lsureta toddled over now and then to take
hand. She generally pulled up the melon
plants, though, so they did not encourage
her to "help" much.
One day in September, when one melon
was ripe and had been carefully cut off aud
carried home, and when twelve other
splendid fellows we're lying basking in the
sunshine almost ready for eating, '"Square"
Ellington drove up beside the fence. Ruby
was sitting on the turf close by, keeping
watch over her treasures.
You have some nice melons there" said
the old gentleman.
Ruby's face shone all over.
Father says they are pretty nice" she
said, modestly. There are good many lit
tie ones, but father don't think they viii get
ripe before frost"
well, there are a good many large ones
for little girl to raise" said the "'Square,"
with great apparent kindliness. ''Let's see,
how msny was going to have to pay for the
use Of the landP
What, sir?" asked Ruby, very much star
tied.
Il said, how many are you going to pay
me for the use Of the land?" repeated the
"'Square."
"I-Tve promised every one of them to
somebody for Is cents apiece" stammered
Ruby.
lob, we'll, the money viii do Just as well
as the melons. of course" said the Squire,
smiliDgly. "You can pay one-hslf you get
for them. That's ali | shall ask. l shouldn't
think of charging you more than that. Some
would, but shan't. Good-by!"
Poor Ruby She sat down and cried as
hard as she could. She had planned Just
how to spend the money. She was going
to have nice pair of shoes, and maybe she
could get a canary. There wasI one for sale
cheap up the street little way. Oh, oh,
oh! now she could not even pay for the
shoes, she was afraid.
She went home and told her mother. and
there Was neighbor il to call, and Ruby
toll her.
ats a shamel" said the neighbor.
"'square Ellington has more money than
be can possibly spend now. The idea of his
taking your melon money The old
skeeZuxr
It did look rather mean. The neighbor
must have gone out and told some Others,
for that night something happened.
There had been some distinguished sum-
mer visitors in Nestlin, and that very even
ing one Of them, a very famous man, of
whose good opinion Squire Ellington
thought good deal, had promised to give a
lecture at the town hall. 1t was on Free
Trade and the Tariff and though a good
much interested in the subject, they all
went because the speaker was such great
man, and they could all go in for nothing.
Mr.. and Mrs. Miller went, and they took
Ruby with them. Imagine their surprise
when, after the lecturer had been through a
long and somewhat prosy talk on rents he
said: Why. ladies and gentlemen, / have
even heard of a man so mean that he asked
rent for about square rod Of ground in a
country village. Not only that, but he ex-
acted it Of little girl, not ten years old,
who bad already received his permission,
without his naming any conditions. to raise a
few melons on it. Isn't that carrying the
rent business good way, ladies and gentle
men2 Did you ever hear Of anything much
meaper than that in your lives2"
People said that Squire Burlington grew
very red when this story was told. at any
rate, he never said anything more to Ruby
about payiDg rent for her little melon patch,
and she bought the shoes, and the canary,
and by good management she saved 20 cents,
with which she bought a little doll for
LauTeta, too. KATE UPs0N CLARK.
Outward Respect.
youths Companion.
Rufus Choate was not only a man dis
tiDguished by intellectual brillisncy; he was
also model of bigh-bred courtesy. No one